Itinerary for Auburn University Tropical Veterinary Science and the Great Barrier Reef 7 July (depart US on 5 July) - 23 July, 2019 **Please note that the itinerary is subject to change, availability, and confirmation of all components. Flights are not included in the program fee but AUIP can assist with arranging a group flight through STA Travel if desired. Sunday, 7 July 2019 Day 1: Townsville - Arrival Day 1:00 PM Qantas group flight arrives at Townsville Airport 1:20 PM Depart by coach from Townsville International Airport 1:40 PM Check in to accommodation 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Welcome and orientation Health and safety orientation held at Reef HQ and led virtually by AUIP staff member 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Hands on Wildlife Presentation with Jackie and Dan Australia’s wildlife has a deadly reputation; with animals like the inland taipan, the most toxic snake on the planet, calling Australian home it is easy to see why. From snakes to crocodiles and even small spiders, it seems like all of the animals are dangerous. During Hands on Wildlife’s Dangerous Wildlife Orientation Program, students will discover which dangerous animals they may encounter in Tropical North Queensland, and more importantly they will learn what they should do if they do encounter these animals. Students will get up close and personal with some of these creatures in a safe and secure environment, and will be able to touch and hold some of our less dangerous animals as well. 6:00 PM Grill'd Group Dinner 3 Palmer Street, Townsville, Phone: 07 4976 9990 Please order your meal choice from the menu. Drinks not included. Accommodation City Oasis Inn, 143 Wills Street, Townsville, Phone: 07 4771 6048 Swimming pool, Wi-fi - complimentary, Gymnasium Monday, 8 July 2019 Day 2: Townsville - Introduction to Reef HQ 7:30 AM City Oasis continental breakfast 8:30 AM Walk to Reef HQ Aquarium (20 minutes) 9:00 AM Welcome to Reef HQ Aquarium Reef HQ Aquarium is the world's largest living coral reef aquarium and the Australian Government's National Education Centre for the Great Barrier Reef. During this session participants will receive an orientation tour of the facility, get an overview of how it was built and learn about the some of the marine life that is on display. 10:00 AM Morning tea 10:30 AM Creature Feature Workshop The Discovery Lagoon is home to an amazing array of reef creatures. Students will discover the baby leopard shark, ray, sea cucumbers and sea stars that inhabit Discovery Lagoon and call the Great Barrier Reef home. Students will have the opportunity to have a hands on interaction with some of these creatures. Using state-of-the-art technology students will also be able to look at the mouth of a sea star, the tube feet of sea urchins and examine a variety of other reef creatures up close. 11:00 AM Behind the scenes tour of Reef HQ Aquarium, animal husbandry and biosecurity focus The world’s largest living coral reef aquarium! Go behind the scenes and explore what it takes to maintain a biological system of this size. During the behind the scenes tour, you will learn how Reef HQ Aquarium staff keep Reef HQ Aquarium's living exhibits healthy and how they monitor the conditions that are required to maintain a "Living Coral Reef on Land". 12:15 PM Lunch at Reef HQ Café Today’s lunch will be provided by the Reef HQ Café and a dedicated seating area will be made available for your use. 1:15 PM Reef HQ Aquarium Turtle Hospital operations presentation Reef HQ Aquarium's Turtle Hospital provides a dedicated facility, where sick and injured marine turtles can be cared for and rehabilitated. The hospital operates under and promotes the C.A.R.E (Conserve. Act. Rehabilitate. Educate) philosophy playing a key role in raising community awareness in relation to threatened species and encouraging behavioural change that will benefit the environment. During this truly inspirational experience students will learn more about marine turtles "the ancient mariners of the sea" and visit the Turtle Hospital where sick and injured marine turtles are being cared for. Turtle Hospital visit and assistance with turtle health checks Hands-on experience in performing health checks on sick and injured marine turtles. 2:15 PM Meet an Aquarist See what is on the menu for the sharks and fish today! 2:30 PM Watch animal feeding 3:00 PM Coral propagation program Based on the same techniques frequently used in domestic gardens to start new plants from cuttings off mature plants, coral fragments “cuttings” are taken from donor colonies to start new colonies. This ensures Reef HQ’s displays are maintained and developed in the most sustainable way. Sharing our secrets is also helping other facilities to reduce their ecological footprint. 3:00 PM Coral propagation program 3:30 PM Free time / time for faculty discussion session 7:00 PM City Oasis dinner Accommodation City Oasis Inn, 143 Wills Street, Townsville, Phone: 07 4771 6048 Tuesday, 9 July 2019 Day 3: Townsville - Marine Park Management and Assessment at Reef HQ 7:30 AM City Oasis continental breakfast 8:30 AM Walk to Reef HQ Aquarium (20 minutes) 9:00 AM Introduction to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and its management An ecosystem based approach is used, and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is widely recognised as one of the best managed marine protected areas in the world. The Marine Park is a multiple-use area that supports a range of communities and industries that depend on the Reef for recreation or their livelihoods. Tourism, fishing, boating and shipping are all legitimate uses of the Marine Park. The entire Marine Park is covered by a Zoning Plan that identifies where particular activities are permitted and where some are not permitted. 10:15 AM Morning tea 10:45 AM Leopard shark captive breeding program Our leopard shark captive breeding program is internationally recognised. Reef HQ Aquarium is one of only a few aquariums worldwide that have eggs laid and new pups hatched successfully. Reef HQ donates offspring to other zoos and aquariums around Australia and the world which reduces the number of sharks collected from the wild. Growth rate research also helps environmental management agencies to better understand how to protect them. 11:15 AM Reef Health Assessment Training (Theory) The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's "Rapid Monitoring Program" is the latest citizen science (community monitoring tool) that enables community members to participate in monitoring the health of the Great Barrier Reef. The strength of the program is that it can be used either at the same site repeatedly for monitoring changes over time or it can be deployed anywhere on coral reefs to get a snapshot of reef health. You will receive in-water training within Reef HQ Aquarium's Coral Reef Exhibition, instructed in the simplified steps and use of diagrams on underwater slates. The Rapid Monitoring Program can easily be adopted by people who may not have a scientific background, however the data collected provides enough detail to be of scientific value for reef managers. 12:30 PM Lunch at Reef HQ Café Today’s lunch will be provided by the Reef HQ Café and a dedicated seating area will be made available for your use. 1:15 PM Briefing prior to snorkeling activities 1:30 PM Rotational activities For this part of the program, the group will be split into two smaller groups for activities on a rotational basis. Group 1: Snorkel within the Coral Reef Exhibit - Reef Health Assessment Training (Practical) Put theory lessons into practice snorkeling in the Coral Reef Exhibition at Reef HQ Aquarium. Conduct a Reef Health Assessment on the world's largest living coral reef aqaurium in preparation for your day trip to the Great Barrier Reef. Group 2: Discover the Top 10 Families of Reef Fish In this session students will be introduced to the top ten families of Reef Fish found on the Great Barrier Reef and learn about the general characteristics of how to identify them. Rotational activities continue 2:45 PM Rotational activities continue. Group 1: Discover the Top 10 Families of Reef Fish Group 2: Snorkel within the Coral Reef Exhibit 4:00 PM Break 4:15 PM Discussion of results 4:30 PM Overview of Reef snorkel trip 4:45 PM Free time / time for faculty discussion session 6:30 PM City Oasis group dinner Accommodation City Oasis Inn, 143 Wills Street, Townsville, Phone: 07 4771 6048 Wednesday, 10 July 2019 Day 4: Townsville - Great Barrier Reef Day Trip 7:00 AM City Oasis continental breakfast 7:30 AM Depart accommodation on foot for the marina Exit City Oasis Inn and turn left walking until you reach Denham Street. Turn right onto Denham Street and walk for approximately 300m, then turn left onto Melton Terrace. Walk for approximately 550m until you reach The Strand. Turn left onto The Strand and walk alongside Anzac Park. At the end of the park turn right onto Mariners Drive and onto the Breakwater Marina. You will find the Adrenalin Snorkel and Dive vessel on the fuel wharf at the end of Mariners Drive (Past ‘G’ wharf). Please wear your swimsuit under your clothes and bring a towel, sunhat, sunscreen, sunglasses and camera. 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Adrenalin Snorkel: Great Barrier Reef Excursion Adrenalin Snorkel and Dive, Townsville's most experienced marine tourism operator, will escort you to some of the best sites on the Great Barrier Reef.